4 ms·

They aren't providing housing, merely connecting people to find common housing. By your logic, craigslist would have been crushed ages ago.

nathanaldensr 4y ago
I didn't provide logic; I only asked a question. The legal system tends not to be that cut-and-dry. I don't know the answer as I am not a lawyer.
dehrmann 4y ago
Craigslist gets some protections from Section 230. Meta, on the other hand, recently settled a suit that its ad targeting allows advertisers to discriminate[1] (full disclosure, I work for Meta, but my views are my own). Because this website is a tool with the specific purpose of discriminatory housing (vs Meta's general-purpose ad targeting), I'd be very careful. 1. https://www.engadget.com/meta-housing-discrimination-settlement-191710885.html https://www.engadget.com/meta-housing-discrimination-settlem...
- klyrs 4y ago
  First off, much of the conversation is about the US, and the site appears to only support listings in the UK. > Find your next LGBT+ friendly household I don't see this as discriminatory. Likewise, if somebody made a site for wheelchair-accessible apartments, that wouldn't be discriminatory either.
  - SoftTalker 4y ago
    So basically, segregation is OK when it's self-selected and not imposed?
    - bombcar 4y ago
      No, he's saying that focusing on a feature of the supply is non-discriminatory. The difference between making a site that only lists housing with wheelchair ramps and a site that only rents to those with wheelchairs.
      - klyrs 4y ago
        she
    - klyrs 4y ago
      This website is specifically for flatmates that won't discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. If you think that's segregation, then yeah, that's OK.
  - dehrmann 4y ago
    That tagline is a good point, but it might also be said with a wink and the implication that you should really be LGBT+, yourself.
- Pfhortune 4y ago
  First of all, IANAL. EDIT: Oh yeah, I guess this is UK only. In any case, I don't see why an equivalent US site would run afoul. Like craigslist, this site is entirely user-generated listings, and I imagine it gets the same 230 protections. > Because this website is a tool with the specific purpose of discriminatory housing It is not. It is a tool to connect people to be roommates together. No housing nor product is provided by the site at all. It is not a platform that targets advertising nor enables targeting advertising to protected groups.
  - dehrmann 4y ago
    Also not a lawyer, and I'll speak to the what could happen in the US, not the UK. I don't think a judge would buy your argument. The Pirate Bay has "user-generated listings" and doesn't offer pirated content, itself. It even has legitimate uses. It's still primarily for piracy. From Grokster[1]: > We hold that one who distributes a device with the object of promoting its use to infringe copyright, as shown by clear expression or other affirmative steps taken to foster infringement, is liable for the resulting acts of infringement by third parties. I'd argue that this is essentially the same. Craigslist gets a pass because its housing posts are generic, so HUD violations are entirely on the poster. 1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MGM_Studios,_Inc._v._Grokster,_Ltd.#Opinion_of_the_Court https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MGM_Studios,_Inc._v._Grokster,...

nathanaldensr 4y ago

I didn't provide logic; I only asked a question. The legal system tends not to be that cut-and-dry. I don't know the answer as I am not a lawyer.

dehrmann 4y ago

Craigslist gets some protections from Section 230. Meta, on the other hand, recently settled a suit that its ad targeting allows advertisers to discriminate[1] (full disclosure, I work for Meta, but my views are my own). Because this website is a tool with the specific purpose of discriminatory housing (vs Meta's general-purpose ad targeting), I'd be very careful. 1. https://www.engadget.com/meta-housing-discrimination-settlement-191710885.html https://www.engadget.com/meta-housing-discrimination-settlem...

klyrs 4y ago
First off, much of the conversation is about the US, and the site appears to only support listings in the UK. > Find your next LGBT+ friendly household I don't see this as discriminatory. Likewise, if somebody made a site for wheelchair-accessible apartments, that wouldn't be discriminatory either.
- SoftTalker 4y ago
  So basically, segregation is OK when it's self-selected and not imposed?
  - bombcar 4y ago
    No, he's saying that focusing on a feature of the supply is non-discriminatory. The difference between making a site that only lists housing with wheelchair ramps and a site that only rents to those with wheelchairs.
    - klyrs 4y ago
      she
  - klyrs 4y ago
    This website is specifically for flatmates that won't discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. If you think that's segregation, then yeah, that's OK.
- dehrmann 4y ago
  That tagline is a good point, but it might also be said with a wink and the implication that you should really be LGBT+, yourself.
Pfhortune 4y ago
First of all, IANAL. EDIT: Oh yeah, I guess this is UK only. In any case, I don't see why an equivalent US site would run afoul. Like craigslist, this site is entirely user-generated listings, and I imagine it gets the same 230 protections. > Because this website is a tool with the specific purpose of discriminatory housing It is not. It is a tool to connect people to be roommates together. No housing nor product is provided by the site at all. It is not a platform that targets advertising nor enables targeting advertising to protected groups.
- dehrmann 4y ago
  Also not a lawyer, and I'll speak to the what could happen in the US, not the UK. I don't think a judge would buy your argument. The Pirate Bay has "user-generated listings" and doesn't offer pirated content, itself. It even has legitimate uses. It's still primarily for piracy. From Grokster[1]: > We hold that one who distributes a device with the object of promoting its use to infringe copyright, as shown by clear expression or other affirmative steps taken to foster infringement, is liable for the resulting acts of infringement by third parties. I'd argue that this is essentially the same. Craigslist gets a pass because its housing posts are generic, so HUD violations are entirely on the poster. 1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MGM_Studios,_Inc._v._Grokster,_Ltd.#Opinion_of_the_Court https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MGM_Studios,_Inc._v._Grokster,...